Geobge o



INVBNTOR ATTORNEYS.

Patented-Dec. 28,1880.

NFTERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D. C-

VGr 0 REITER Meat and Vegeta-ble Gutter. N 236,o38.

(No Model.)

l WITNBssEs i Unirse Sratrns erica@ arent GEORGE O. KEITER, OF SPRING CITY, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO SUSANNA KEITER, OF SAME PLAGE.

MEAT `AND VEGETABLE CUTTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 236,038, dated December 28, 1880.

Application filed September 9, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE OLIVER KEIT- ER, of Spring City, in the county of Ohester and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Meat and Vegetable Cutters, of which the following is a specification.

Figure l is a perspective view of the improvement. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation. Fig. 3 represents one of the frictionrollers.

Similar letters of reference indicate correspondin g parts.

The object of this invention is to furnish meat and vegetable cutters so constructed that the substances to be cut will be fed to the knives automatically, that the cutters can be adjusted to cut thicker or thinner slices, and can be used to slice substances smaller than the cavities ofthe feed-boxes.

The invention consists in constructing a meat and vegetable cutter of a peculiar framework to support the operating mechanism, a feed-box having an open top tov receive the substance to be cut, a detached cover to keep the substance to be cut from rising out of the boX, a feed-slide and spiral springs to push the substance to be cut forward, rabbeted bars, a sliding knife-frame having handle, inclined knife, stationary plate, and adjustable gage` plate, anda strap having bent lug, a strap having bent ends, and swiveled screws for adjusting the gage-plate, as will be hereinafter fully described.

In the accompanying` drawings, A are two bars connected by two posts, B, framed to them upon the opposite side of and equally distant from their centers, and by two strengthening posts or braces, C.

To the bars A and posts B is attached the forward end of the feed-box D, the outer partof lwhich is attached to the bar E and postsk F, framed at their lower ends into the said bar E. The top G of the feed-box D is detachable,

and rests upon the upper edges of the sides of the said feed-box D. The forward end of the top or cover G tits and rests beneath a cleat, H, attached to the side of the top bar, A.

To the upper side of the outer part of the cover G is attached a cross-bar, I, in such a position that its ends will project at the forward sides of the posts F, so that the outer part of the said cover G can lo'e secured in place by buttons J, pivoted to the tops of the said posts F and turned over the projecting ends ofthe said bar I.

The lower half of the sides of the feed-box D projects beyond the posts F, to serve as a guide and guard to the feed-slide K. The feed-slide K is made to ut the interior of the feed-box D, and is attached to the forward end of a box, K', made with its upper side and outer end open, and with the outer part of its sides about half the height of the inner halt', as shown in Fig. 2, the shoulders between said higher and lower parts being inclined.

Upon the sides of the forward end of the feed-slide K are formed tenons or tongues L, which tit into and slide in grooves M in` the inner surfaces of the sides of the feed-box D, to cause the feed-slide to move out and in in a straightline.

To the center of the outer end of the feedslide K K is attached a cross-bar, N, the ends of which project beyond Jthe sides of the feedbox D, and to them are attached the outer ends of two spiral springs, O. The inner ends of the spiral springs O are secured to the posts B by hooks or other suitable means, so that the feed-slide K K will be drawn forward by the tension of the said springs O. The middle part of the cross-bar N serves as a handle,

for convenience in drawing' back thefeed-wslideV Y 1 l K to insert the substance to be slicedf" To the forward or outer sides ofthe bars A are attached rabbeted bars P, to form a way for the knife-frame Q, to which, near one end, is attached a handle, R, for convenience in operating it.

To the middle part of the inner side of the frame Q is attached the knife S, which is set in an inclined position, and is let into the frame Q, so that its surface may be flush with the surface of the said frame Q. The cavity of the frame Q, in the rear of the knife S is filled with a plate, T, securely attached to the said'frame, and having its inner surface flush with the surface of the frame Q and knife S. The forward edge of the plate T, beneath the knife S, is beveled to allow the slices cut by the said knife S to escape freely.

The cavity of the knife-frame Q iu front of the knife S is filled with a plate, U. rlhe plate U is fitted loosely into the frame Q, and its forward edge, beneath the edge of the knit'e S, is inclined to correspond with the inclination of the said knife S, and is beveled upon its outer side, so that it will not interfere with the free escape ofthe slices cut by the said knife S.

To the outer side of the outer end of the plate U is attached a metal bar, strap, or narrow plate, V, upon the middle part ot' which is formed a lug, XV. The lug lV projects at right angles with the plate V, and is bent outward at right angles, so as to overlap the outer side ofthe end bar of the knife-frame Q.

To the outer side of the inclined inner end of the plate U is attached a strap, bar, or plate, X, the ends or lugs Y ot' which project and are bent twice at right angles, so as to overlap the side bars of the frame O. To the lug Y ofthe strap V and to the ends Y ofthe strap X are swiveled hand-screws Z, which screw into nuts set into and secured to the bars of the knife-frame Q, so that by turning the screws Z the plate U may be adjusted at a greater or less distance from the plane of the knife S, according as thicker or thinner slices are to be cut.

Vth this construct-ion, when the knifeframe Q is pushed forward the substance to be cut is pressed against the plate T by the tension of the springs O, which tension, when the knife-frame Q is drawn back, forces the substance to be cut against the adjustable plate U, so that a slice will be cutfrom the said substance by the knife S as the knife-frame Q is again pushed forward. The friction of the knife-frame Q against the rabbeted bars P, caused by the pressure otI the substance to be cut against the plates T U, is relieved by the friction-rollers a, pivoted to the lugs formed upon the side edges of the small plates b, let into and secured to the said rabbeted bars P, the rollers a projecting through the short slots in the said rabbeted bars P, so that the facing v plates it', attached to theouter sides ofthe side bars ofthe knife-frame Q, will rest against the faces of the said rollers at. The movement of the knife-frame Q is limited by a set-screw, c, which pa: ,5 through a screw-hole in the rabbeted bar l so that its forward end will enter a groove, d, in the edge of a side bar of the frame Q.

rlhe inner sides ofthe forward edges of the forward end of the feed-box D are rabbeted to receive anarrow plate, c, which is kept in place by narrow plates f, which cross the ends of the said plate c, and form ways for the said plate c to move upon. To the center of the plate e is attached, or upon it is formed, an arm, g, to serve as a handle for adjusting the plate c. The arm g passes through a keeper, 11 attached to thepostB, and projects into such a position as to be conveniently reached and operated. The plate c is designed to be used when euttinga substance ofsmaller bulk than the cavity ot' the feed-box D, to prevent the said substance from beingdrawn back orturned by friction when drawing back the knife-frame for another cut, in which case the plate e is adjusted in such a position as to hold the substance to be cut against the forward side of the feed-box. The plate c is secured in place when adjusted by a set-screw, t', which passes through the post B and presses the arm g against the keeper L. Then not required for use the plate c is drawn back into a rabbet in the edge ofthe rear side ofthe feed-box D, so as to be wholly outside of the cavitjv .of the said feed-box.

To the rear part of the lower bar, A, is hinged a hook,j, to be hooked upon the edge ot' the table or bench upon which the cutter rests when being used to sustain the said cutter against the forward pressure when making a cut.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentrlhe combination, in a meat and vegetable cutter, with the frames ,A B C and E F, of the grooved feed-box l) G, the spring-actuated and tenoned feed-slide K, having cross-bar N, the box K', open at the upper side and outer end, the rabbcted bars l), the frame Q, carrying the inclined knife S, the plate T, beveled on the forward edge, the plate V, having lug \V, the loose plate U, inclined on the forward edge, the strap X, having lugs Y, and the adjusting-screws Z, as shown and described.

GEORGE OLIVER KEITER.

\Viti1esses AMos KEITER, GEORGE W. QUAY. 

